British Academy Review

‘Understanding peoples, cultures, societies – past, present, future.’
The British Academy Review magazine contains articles illustrating the wide range of scholarship which the British Academy promotes in its role as the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences.

Individual articles or whole issues of the British Academy Review may be downloaded (as PDFs - follow the links below). Alternatively, use the Author index to dip into the archive of British Academy Review articles. While stocks last, printed copies of the British Academy Review may be requested by emailing pubs@britac.ac.uk

Includes:Colin Mayer on making business fit for purpose. Nicholas Stern on understanding change Hermione Lee on bad behaviour in biography Stefan Collini on the vision of James Bryce The hype about ‘neural plasticity’ The different portrayals of India

Academic books: A special issueIncludes: Richard J Evans on Europe’s century of power Steve Smith and Catherine Merridale on writing the Russian Revolution David Hand on how his new book measures up Twelve months of influential and prize-winning books So what does the future hold for the academic book?

Includes:Linda Colley on why constitutions matter Uta Frith on what autism tells us about our social nature Marina Warner on stories as thought experiments in times of turmoil Tackling corruption – finding out what really works Who are the Zoroastrians?Learning Latin – now and then

Includes: Defining a thousand years of medieval British writing.Also:Growing older, slowing down?Abolishing modern slaveryThe importance of soft powerA 250-year-old cache of unopened lettersA First World War hospital for officers

Includes: Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa in conversation.Also:Celebrating women in the humanities and social sciencesWhat is wrong with our financial services sector?Winston Churchill and the British Academy

This issue shows the activities of the British Academy contributing to policy and other topical issues.

There are also a range of articles with a medieval theme – drawing both on the British Academy’s ‘Medieval Week’ held in November 2010, and on the rich variety of longstanding British Academy Research Projects that produce resources for the study of medieval history.

The issue concludes with some appreciations of the value of humanities and social sciences subjects.

The articles in this issue illustrate how humanities and social science scholarship contributes to a wide range of topical issues, either through direct contributions to public debate, or through intriguing parallels.

This issue displays a wide range of scholarship supported by the British Academy.

The opening articles illustrate the stronger role that the British Academy is playing in public debates and policy-making - through its Forums, through the research it funds, and now through its recently launched Policy Centre.

Then there are articles offering different perceptions of late 20th-century history - including the dramatic events that changed Eastern Europe twenty years ago.

The remaining articles reflect the work that the Academy supports in the study of different aspects of culture, whether of another time and place, or closer to home.

The articles under the heading ‘Reflections on British politics’ consider the different forces and traditions that have held sway during the last 100 years, and ask where British political culture is now headed.

The ‘Politics of energy’ section publishes the texts of three lectures given in 2008-2009, which examine how our demand for energy impacts so forcefully on the political agenda, and which explore the solutions and constraints facing decision makers.

The three articles headed ‘Politics of peace’ show British Academy-funded researchers engaging with some of the most sensitive areas of conflict in the world, and offer valuable perspectives for those trying to broker peaceful settlements.

The two lead articles address issues of current public interest, and it is intended that future issues of the British Academy Review will provide such a platform for topical debate.

This issue also has a strong international flavour. Articles reveal both the impact of globalisation at the local level, and how local situations can defy simple global assumptions - as well as showcasing the wide range of scholarship on international subjects that is supported by the British Academy.

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